At least members in certain southern areas now know what I call stage three rust looks like. Part of the problem I suspect is Mercedes used a non waterproof primer on their cars.

So any scratch or break in the paint finish allows moisture to crawl along under the paint through the primer and spread the rusting.

What to me is really sickening. For little more money auto manufacturers could have used corten steel. It will lightly surface rust but stop rusting at that point. May have added only I percent to the total production costs of cars.

Then again the economy functions by replacements needed in a big way. In many areas of north America now the body fails well before the mechanicals call it a day.